Spring-wheel.



v. E. CAMPBELL.

SPRING WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 12, 1911.

. 1,029,789 Patented June 18, 1912.

Witnesses Inventor I7 7 A Attorneys PATEN T OFFIC,

VICTOR E. CAMPBELL, OF BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA.

SPRING-WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 12, 1911.

Patented June 18, 1912.

Serial No. 648,940.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VIoToR E. CAMPBELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Berkeley, in the county of Alameda and State of California,have invented anew and useful Spring-WVheel, of which the following is aspecification.

It is the object of this invention to provide a spring wheel of noveland improved form, so constructed that the spoke holding portion of thewheel will be yieldably connected with the axle thereof, for movement ina plane at right angles to the axle, the spoke holding portion of thewheel being permitted to have a slight lateral movement, which lateralmovement is limited and restricted by a peculiar and novel arrangementof co-acting springs and links.

'With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope ofwhat is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings,Figure 1 shows the invention in sectionalelevation; Fig. 2 is a sect-ion on the line A B of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is asection on the line C-D of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a graphic figure,explanatory of the movements of the links and of the springs.

In the drawings, the numeral 1 denotes the axle of a vehicle, to whichabutment blocks 2 may be secured, hub plates 3 surrounding the axle 1,and abutting against the blocks 2, the hub plates 3 being secured to theaxle 1, for rotation therewith. The invention further includes a spokeholder 4, preferably of annular form, the spoke holder 4.receiving thespokes 5. The spoke holder 4 is spaced from the axle 1, so as to havemovement in a plane perpendicular to the axle. The spoke holder 4 isconnected with the hub plates 3 by a plurality of link and springmechanisms, these sets of link and spring mechanisms being multiplied toany desired extent. But one of them will be described, since they arealike.

Pivotally connected with the hub plates 3, are a pair of primary links6, which converge toward the plane of the wheel. A pair of secondarylinks 7 are pivotally connected with the spoke holder 4, the links 7converging away from the plane of the wheel. A variety of devices may beemployed for pivotally connecting the remote ends of the links 6 and 7with the hub plates 3, and with the spoke holder 4, respectively. 'Oneform of connection is shown in detail in Fig. 3, as applied specificallyto the connection between one of the secondary links 7 and the spokeholder 4. If desired, a connecting element 8 may be extended through thespoke holder 4, the connecting element having in its end, a socket 9,adapted to receive a ball head 10, fashioned on the end of the secondarylink 7. Fig. 3 serves to illustrate, with equal propriety, one meanswhereby the primary links 6 may be connected with the hub plates 8.

The inner, adjacent ends of the links 6 and 7 are united by connections,the same preferably taking the form of rings 11. The primary links 6 areunited by primary retractile springs 12 and the secondary links 7 areunited by the similar springs 12, the springs 12 and 12' being locatedon opposite sides of the connecting rings 11. Auxiliary springs 14 unitethe intermediate portions of the primary links 6 with the hub plates 3.These auxiliary springs 14 converge from their points of union with theprimary links 6, toward the hub plates 3, to which their outer ends aresecured. The auxiliary springs 14 are preferably of the helical type,and are retractile elements.

Supplemental springs 15 are secured to the intermediate portions of thesecondary links 7, the supplemental springs 15 converging from theirpoints of attachment to the secondary links, toward the spoke holder 4,to which the supplemental springs 15 are attached. The supplementalsprings 15 are .retractile in operation, and like the other springshereinbefore mentioned, are preferably, although not necessarily, ofhelical form. In attaching the ends of the springs 14 and 15 to thelinks 6 and 7, respectively, eyes 16 may be fashioned in the links;although any other equivalent structures may be employed.

- A flexible cover 17- extends from the spoke holder 4, to the hubplates 3, so as to house in the link and spring mechanisms. Upon theouter ends of the spokes 5, a tire 18 is shown. The tire 18 constitutesno part of the present invention, and may be of any form.

It will be seen that the links 6 and 7, together with the springs 12,12, l land 15, serve to support the spoke holder at yieldingly, so thatthe same may have movement in a vertical plane, relative to the axle 1.Thus, all jolts and jars will be absorbed readily. The spoke holder 4will likewise have a slight lateral movement with respect to the axle 1,but it is to be. observed that this lateral movement is but small, thesame being restricted to the amount required in order to give the wheelsuflicient resiliency. Let Fig. 4 of the drawings be noted, and supposethat a lateral pressure were applied to the spoke holder 4, in thedirection of the arrow X of Fig. 4:. Under such circumstances, theconnected ends of the links 6 and 7 will swing outwardly in thedirection of the arrows Y. This operation will serve to put the springs12, 12, 14 and 15 under tension, as indicated by the arrows which arelocated adjacent the said springs. At the beginning of the pressuredenoted by the arrow X, the links 6 and 7 will move somewhat readily,thereby affording the desired resiliency, but, as the movement of thelinks 6 and 7 increases, the tension of the springs 12, 12, 15 and 14,will be increased, in a ratio out of all proportion to the movement ofthe links 6 and 7, thereby preventing an undue lateral movement orwabbling of the spoke holder 4 and the spokes 5. It has been pointed outthat when the spoke holder 4: moves in the direction of the arrow X, thesprings 12, 12', 14 and 15 will be put under tension. The foregoingapplies toone side of the wheel only, it being easily discernible thatthe springs upon the other side of the wheel will be put undercompression; the springs upon opposite sides of the spoke holder 4 thuscoacting to maintain the spoke holder 4: properly positioned and topreserve a resilient supporting of the spoke holder.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. In a deviceof the class described, an axle; a spoke holder surrounding and spacedfrom the axle; a set of secondary links pivoted to the spoke-holder; aset of primary links; means for connecting the primary links with theaxle; connections between the the intermediate portions of the secondarylinks with the spoke holder.

3. In a device of the class described, an axle; a spoke holdersurrounding and spaced from the axle; a set of secondary links pivotedto the spoke holder; a set of primary links; means for connecting theprimary links with the axle; connections between the adjacent ends ofthe primary and secondary links; a spring uniting the links of one set;springs uniting the intermediate portions of the primary links with saidmeans; and springs uniting the intermediate portions of the secondarylinks with the spoke holder.-

4. A device of the class described comprising an axle; spaced hub platessecured to the axle; a spoke holder surrounding the axle and spacedtherefrom; a set of converging primary links connected with the hubplates; a set of converging secondary links connected with the spokeholder; connections between the ends of the primary and secondary links;retractile springs uniting the links of both sets retractilespringsunited with the intermediate portions of the secondary links, saidsprings converging toward the spoke holder, and being connectedtherewith; and retractile springs connected with the intermediateportions of the primary links, said springs converging toward theplates, and being connected therewith.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, Ihave hereto affixedmy signature 1n the presence of two wltnesses.

VICTOR E. CAMPBELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Iatents, Washington, D. G.

